Mail-distributing apparatus.



D. B. OHPJSON.

MAIL msmlum@ APPARATUS.

APPLICATIN FILED MAR. 21. 1917.

Patented Dec. 25, 191?.

2 sEETs-SHEET 2.

@Viiv/mm `ing appara tus.

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To 'allen/filoni conferir/nz. ,Y e

Be' itfknon'n that rDeym, JoHNsoN partrnents.A a citiicen.. of the Uniteclfl yaies@resiing:et Lynchburg, in" the county oft Highland and tie Well portion ,of the cabinet, I State" oit hio, laye i and' useful Improvements in ll/eiLDistrihuteg line if-7 of Fig. e.. ing Apparatus: followin to seription'o the in .t'ion such 'es will eri-- the dl'WBgSf i 1 1-f able others skill/e in theart ,to ,Whielipit fln the accompanying clraWir-igs,y in which appertainsv o i -alie and use the same i @Chefinintion'relates 'to a mail di.

rihutf. the invention, the mail clistriimting appa.-

.- ,4 ratus comprises in its construction avertical distributing apparatus" o and ineipen'sive, eonstruction @lesioned for., ybut in 4,apartments which have alreafly-been the usefof apartments `anni the ilie andvffbuilt thel apparatus beinstelledat the capable of enabling aniail carrier ats single mostconvenient point. i The vertical cesing, point to 'distribute the mail orj'tli'e enants ywhich. may be constructed of any suitable throughout an entire avgar-tnfient thereby sii-5l material, hasmounted Within it. an endless i vsame sliowing one-of the doors of the com-` lig. 6 is a deteilview of the loyver deer el? 'inw-mimirtainvnew l Fig. .7 is a detail sectional View, on thel is illustrated lthey preferred eirhodiinent of` y Like numerals of reference designate cor- .respondingparts 1n the several. igures of he Qeegei @fede prsent invention ist@ yoasizfxgl lforming Well' 2 anni. designed to proyirlea simple, practical and 'efioientmeil be huilt 1n the ,Wall oi apartment houses andy 701 ,st-rang5 fflurelole similar structures when the same is erected,`

ectinga gre'stsaving intime and labor, andA carrier comprising spacedV endless beltsv 3,

obviatinge the necessity of mail carriers upper and lower groovel wheels' 4, end upgoing vvto the different Qo'rtions eilen. per and lower transverse shafts 5 on which ment orv 'other bruising. the groovefl wheels areimounteel. 1 The encl-v 'urlher object of the-invention is vto pro-f ride a mail clistriloutin"iieyice othisfcliar.-

and the'7 are Broviclecl at intervals ywith n .l

l, acter ii'liich Wil he 'entier' the control ofA `hearing,boxesi 7 located atthe front or onter- Q ffdll/ stretch-or flight of the endless belt when the apparatuses in its normal position 'ancla-e the mail 'carrier a'nfl-iiirhicli may.. l looledin proper position; tolkatord jgllevari- .Y onstenantso'i 'an apartment avccefsslto their geving transflerse shafts .8f of rotary mail less belts may he of. any desired` construction the same time preventvan iinaiitliorized person from chengi'iig the mail receptacles. With these and other ohiectsfin 'fl/tieni. invention consists lle @ons uetion novel combination t i described. "l

illustrate-e1 in drawings and pointe 7 hereto a) )enclecl' t .J

various cliangjesinthei "-il@ partitions 13 extending from the hub of :nd minor riet-ans of the drum to the periphery thereof. The

he scope or the c sims, l Without departing from the sgi Aning any oie the a f ln the drawings.'

Figure l is a front elevation partly in sect`on or a mail flistribnting apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is vertical sectional View of the periphery is formed by doors 14 preferably cnryecln as shown, and hinge at one side at l5 to the side or head ofthe drinn an provided at the opposite side with a suitable locking;1 device 16. Any number oi the compartments may he provided and the doors or other portions oi' the compartments lwill be provided with suitable means for designating the number of the apartment and the same. naine of the tenant entitled to the mail of Figs. S are enlarged sectional views the compnrtinent. Also in large apartment of the r^tsry nail holder or reeentaele. houses or buildings the shafts may be pro- Fig. View of a portion of the vided with a plurality of the rotary drums a mail carrier to lock the mail holding re`v` ceptacles in such position. In the accom panying drawings an ordinary post-otiice padlock 18 is shown and is adapted to cngage around the rim of one of the lower wheels 4 and a suitable keeper 15). .This

will prevent anyone, from changing the position of the receptacles with relation to the doors of the casing. The casing is designed to extend from the top to the bottom of an apartment house, and while only three of the rotary mail holding lreceptacles are shown. the desired number will be employed. and when the endless carrier is unlocked the mail carrier may partially rotate the wheels of the endless carrier and successively bring the mail holding receptacles to the bottom of the well opposite a lower door Q0 and may rotate the receptacles or holders and distribute the mail to the various tenants having the compartments ot such mail holder and after such mail is distributed the next receptacle or mail holder may be brought to the bottom of tbe endless carrier and so on until tbe mail is entirely distributed. The easing is designed to be provided at the lower portion with a desk or cabinet 21, with which communicatesV a mail chute 22 for enabling mail from the apartment house to be delivered to the cabinet or mail box 21, which is arranged in desk form for the convenience ot' the mail carrier. The cabinet or desk .21 may be provided with adrawer 22 and doors i223. suitable locking devices being ot' course employed. The compartments are circular shaped and they extend clear to the hub of the rotary mail receptacles or holders, and While the latter are shown cylindrical they may bc of polygonal form to provide flat doors and peripheral faces. To facilitate the ready rotation of the endless carrier the lower shaft is provided'at one` end with a crank 24 but any other suitable means may be employed for enabling the endless carrier to be operated. The device will enable a mailcarrer to Seat himself at the desk or letter box and ina comparatively short time distribute the mail throughout a large apartment house and the occupants of the apartment house will be able to obtain their mail on the same floor of their apartment at a`much earlier hour and without descending to the entrance of the building.

What is claimed is:

1. A mail distributing apparatus including an endless carrier designed to be mounted in a Well of an apartment house or the like and composed of spaced belts and wheels receiving the said belts, and a plurality of rotary mail holding receptacles located be tween and carried b the said belts and pro vided with an annu ar series of mail receiving compartments forming individual letter boxes and having individual doors and adapted to be rotated to bring the individual compartments and doors-to the front or back of the apparatus.

2. A mail distributing device including an endless carrier designed to be mounted in a well in an apartment house or the like and comprising spaced endless belts and wheels receiving the belts, said belts being provided at intervals with shafts, and rotary mail holders mounted on the shafts and consisting of drums having radial partitions formin mail receiving compartments, said drums belng also provided at their peripheries with doors for closing the said compartments.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in 'presence of two witnesses.

- DAVID B. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

W. A. Sarnen, EARL CUsTxs. 

